The network’s approach was to tell a universal, ambiguous, cornstarch story about Asian-Americans resembling moo goo gai pan written by a Persian-American who cut her teeth on race relations writing for Seth MacFarlane. But who is that show written for? –Eddie Huang, “Bamboo Ceiling TV”

After reading the excerpt of Theresa M. Senft and Safiya Umoja Noble’s Handbook of Social Media, I immediately figured that we needed to address the recently aired television sitcom, Fresh Off the Boat. FOB is an ABC sitcom adapted from the published memoir of Taiwanese-American chef and restaurateur, former lawyer/weed slanger, and all around cool guy, Eddie Huang. The man spits the truth about racial microagressions, in a manner I can relate to as a second generation Korean-American who can share similar experiences that he describes in his book. His book was widely well-received by those whose opinions mattered the most about this book, the Asian-Americans. Personally however, I had my suspicions about how well this book would translate onto an American television network. After watching the first and second episodes of the sitcom, my boyfriend, also Korean-American and I exchanged unsure glances and agreed that although we didn’t mind it, it definitely could have been better. We both wondered if the show’s humor and storylines would be better enjoyed by a white viewer. Huang definitely had his differences about the show’s adaptation and writes about his frustrations and hopes in an article featured in an issue of the New York Magazine.

As of now the show feels weak and as mild-mannered as the model-minority role we Asians are expected to exceed. Where’s the sriracha sauce?! The kimchi?! The episodes so far blandly imitate the A and B plots of a Malcolm in the Middle episode, but only with Asian stereotypes sprinkled in here and there. Huang addresses these issues in the article and rants about the complications of working against an industry so content on shoving their faces with Panda Express when there’s family owned Ding Tai Fung. I do have hope for this show however, but only if it is guided under the right hands. We cannot underestimate the power of addressing microagressions on a nationally broadcasted television sitcom, I just hope we can do all of them justice.

http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/eddie-huang-fresh-off-the-boat-abc.html?mid=facebook_nymag/

While reading “Race and Social Media” and re-learning about the construction of race and its role in colonization and power, I was reminded about all my Latin American art history classes. Not only do we see this in art regarding latin american colonization, but also in how we treat art itself. With much of the art history (or any) education here in the United States, the Western world sees themselves as “greater.” When looking at the requirements for my art history degree, things are often categorized as “Western” and “Non-Western.” Western includes the United States, Canada, most of Europe or any “countries of European colonial origin” (according to Wikipedia). When we talk about Non-western we usually mean Asia, Latin America, Africa, etc. Labeling the art categories as such makes everything revolve around the West (the conquerors). People usually see the West as the “best” since they have “advanced” the most, but labeling everything as non-western kind of seems to demean it to me. One class in particular was labeled “Intro to Pre-Columbian Art,” which is very problematic as we are saying that these cultures (Inca, Maya, Aztec etc) are only visible because of Christopher Columbus. These cultures existed beforehand and Columbus’ arrival has nothing to do with their art. Of course my professor, who is an Inca art expert, changed the name to the class to “Art in the Americas before 1500” because she understood the conflict.

Not to mention that the colonizers thought they were bettering the world by spreading their Christian ideas and getting rid of the other cultures (aztec, maya, etc) because they were blasphemous and not like Europe.

Everything we talk about, we usually talk in the Western view. In my information studies class we talked about how our current time is called “the digital age” but in reality ONLY 12% of the world is plugged in. This Western view is everywhere, and the Western view was/is predominately white, even though we are so mixed nowadays and there is so much culture flourishing. We see it in leadership (mostly white males), in education, and in everyday things like entertainment. I feel like things are slowly changing, especially from the colonial times, but we need have more voices heard of different ethnicities, colors, race, whatever you want to call it.

Charlton McIlwain explains why: “not only is racism a pervasive social construction, race is also a powerful way of organizing community, both as a technique of oppression and as a strategy of resistance and community among people of color.”

This video is a compilation of, admittedly very funny, racial stereotypes portrayed in short 6 second videos via Vine. While our readings “Race and Social Media” didn’t cover the app Vine specifically, I feel that it is a good conversations to have. Senft & Noble do a good job of covering the topic of humor and it’s relationship to racial stereotypes online.

I remember a while ago Oprah interviewed Jay-Z and she was curious why he uses the N word in his lyrics so often. While Oprah stands on the side of abolishing that word all together, JayZ feels that by using it and owning it, it diffuses the meaning. I’m not sure where I stand personally. But when you look at it historically, it has devalued human beings. However, we live in a time now where the word’s value is being diminished. Artists like Jay-Z, comedians and so on use the word with the intent of desensitizing.

Similarly actors on Vine also think it is important to have these stereotypes played before us. Many of the clips on the video are too taboo to speak about for most people. Yet by showing how completely silly they are, it then becomes a device to disprove stereotypes; thus a “strategy of resistance”.

Over the summer at camp, (detached from online world) the counselors did a program with our teens called “gender-bender night” Boys dress as girls, and girls as boys. Most of the kids got really into it and made silly/inappropriate jokes as they were getting dressed. T

he boy in my cabin who chooses to dress as a girl and is in the process of changing gender, instead of resenting the mocking stereotypes of his cabin-mates, he was glad we did the program. The night would conclude with a serious program/discussion about gender roles and stereotypes, and they took it seriously because they saw how much they subconsciously stereotyped.

Given this, I think I stand with this idea.

In order to break down stereotypes, we must bring them up.

Senft & Noble’s Race and Social Media discusses social media as a current axes of oppression against race, gender, and class. Something not quite related to “online life” but was in fact mentioned and I think is critically important to the discussion of this class in general is “neoliberal notions of individualism” (8). The dictionary defines neoliberal; as, “relating to a modified form of liberalism tending to favor free-market capitalism”. I have heard this term before as it relates to multicultural or intersectional feminism. As I understand it, neoliberalism promotes self-reliance and autonomy within capitalism. It is easy here to make the connection between neoliberalism and behaviors that arise with the proliferation of social media outlets. Within neoliberalism, we see ourselves with agency – it is not a far stretch to explain why people do much of what they do online.

Last quarter, I took a different Digital Humanities 150 course called Internet Histories.   At the same time, I was taking Intro to Gender Studies. In the latter class we were discussing neoliberalism as it relates to intersectional feminism; we were challenged to use feminism as the entry point into an interlocking force of an oppressive system. As we tracked the developments of the Internet from its initial “birth” by the U.S. military’s funding, to universities, to the general public via private businesses, I couldn’t say I was exactly surprised by the lack of diversity. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel that there should have been at least some mention about the elephant in the room. In the entire book we read, every single actor in the development of the Internet was a white, educated man (side note: the book was written by a woman). Recalling my frustration with the lack of at least one class discussion about this fact, I couldn’t agree more with what Senft and Noble had to say about the unrealistic ideals of the Internets’ founders. The original fantasy of the Internet – connecting people from disparate locations – was never truly democratic; so it’s unrealistic to say that it 100% could be now.

Another concept Senft and Noble consider is the phenomenon of “racial micro aggression” which they define as “automatic and unconsciously uttered insults and dismissal routinely directed toward people of color” (12). An example of this very real, prominent concept I encounter all the time is this: a white young woman has returned from vacation (somewhere tropical, or at least sunny), caught some sun, and is meeting up with her friend. Her friend exclaims upon their reunion, “Oh my god. You literally (big emphasis here) look black!” I hear this constantly. It has always made me uncomfortable and to be honest, I couldn’t quite put my finger on why until reading Senft and Noble’s discussion of micro racial aggression. It’s not as though the white young woman is throwing out a racial slur, or even consciously trying to insult her friend – in fact, she’s complimenting her appearance. Instead there, the implication of this “compliment” works to enforce “racing” as Senft and Noble put it. Like the authors also argue, the women in this situation do not see themselves as a race – they are “unraced”, “neutral”. Therefore, when the woman’s skin tone deepens from a tan, she resembles this raced other that must be pointed out.

There is a disconnect when it comes to understanding the life of teenagers. Many parents and elders in today world have adopted this notion of abstinence, which as danah boyd expands the conversations by saying these habits leave no room for conversation. Adolescence is an age where teens hope to explore and develop their ecosphere, regardless of era­, with or without technology. A parent’s natural instinct is to protect, and as boyd states, create a “cocoon” which in a way quarantines their offspring’s natural desires. My beliefs are that these teens, are really adults in training, not nuisances or irritants, they too are seeing how hectic the world is and this is period is the start of something extremely confusing but at the same time liberating. The fog of innocence is clearing, as the haze of every day reality settles in. Adults need to be sharing their experiences with their children. Of course, there are moments when it is appropriate to intervene and address what behaviors need some attention, thought, and conversation, however with during this authoritative shift, actions taken by these parental figures needs to be more than an exhibition of control or a symbol of power. There needs a relationship based on respect, and supportive understanding even when there are disagreements, but because of this desire for full self-discipline; they are simply setting up situations for failure, and outright disconnections in these relationships. The period of adolescences a curious phase where many of life’s significant inquiries are at question; it is a new chapter of self-discovery, and now with a convent gadget used to help solve these pressing questions. With the help of profiles, teens are now able to create and display themselves in a new way that completely self-controlled. I do see how these self-displays could scare a parent, but they are also platforms for understanding. Most fears are framed by mythological ideas, and dramatic worries that revolve around their offspring’s evolving sexual presence. Most anxieties however are constructions, fabricated by the media, and as boyd brings up, reality television shows like To Catch a Predator, or MTVs Catfish: technological users are manipulated by a unknown influence that brings about deception and distrust in home relations. These scenarios for the most part are fabled dramas, which are broadcasted as a story, and often manipulated. Find the space for conversation, that is where truth will be released, and information can be consumed.

“Although new forms of drama find home through social media, teens’ behaviors have not significantly changed. Social media has not radically altered the dynamics of bullying, but it has made these dynamics more visible to more people. We must use this visibility, not to justify increased punishment, but to help youth who are actually crying out for attention. Blaming technology or assuming that conflict will disappear if technology usage is minimized is naive.”

 

In chapter five of It’s Complicated, Danah Boyd examines the hot-button issue of Cyber Bullying and questions if social media has amplified the meanness and cruelty of adolescents. The excerpt above culminates the chapter and echoes the sentiment I wish most people would adopt. Children have always been cruel, social media and the easy accessibility of cell phones do not create bullies; it has only granted them with new platforms to engage in the same old cruelty. 

I am guilty of re-posting this video of #shovelgirl on my Instagram last year. At the time,  I thought nothing of it because it was literally everywhere. But after seeing adults just like me laugh and make accusations about this 16 year old child, I feel a certain level of disgust with myself and this culture of making bullying and children on children violence more visible than it ever has been. When posting these videos, we’re almost like co -conspirators in these children’s torment. While it is funny it’s created the misuse of visibility that Boyd refers to. While children will be children, as adults we could be using this expanded visibility social media has afforded us with to aid children not make fun of them for likes on Instagram. The anchors speculated if the video had been staged and all came to the conclusion that the girls had planned on recording their fighting so that it could go “viral”. A goal that isn’t so unheard of when there’s websites like WorldStar , who have millions of viewers everyday posting and re-posting these fights.

Boyd suggest that while we can not prevent youth from being hurt, we can make an effort to empower youth and recognize their hurting. I agree whole-heartedly with that statement. I sympathize with children who are victims of cyberbulling, I couldn’t imagine my insecurities being disperse for the world to see with a click of a button and .So I’m going to stop reposting or tagging my friend in kid fight videos because I just don’t want to be a part of the larger problem anymore.

When you go online…who can you trust… who should you fear…?

Cyberbully is British television Channel 4’s most recent TV docu-drama, which first aired in January. Maisie Williams (most commonly known for her role of Aria Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones) stars in the film. She plays Casey, a teenage girl who “lives her life out online”. She partakes in cyberbullying, as well as falls victim to it. She eventually comes in contact with a hacker that accesses personal information on almost all her technological devices. Casey is eventually manipulated into taking part in cyberbullying. If she does not comply, the hacker threatens to post personal pictures of her online. As mentioned in danah boyd’s reading, “Those who subscribe to Olweus’s definition view bullying as a practice in which someone of differential physical or social power subjects another person to repeated psychological, physical, or social aggression.” Towards the end of the film, Casey is almost led to overdose on antidepressants because of the eventual power the hacker holds over her.

I have yet not seen this film, but it’s available online to view for a few more days. After coming across the article on the film a few days ago, it made me think that this TV thriller is literally every parent’s nightmare. From hackers accessing personal information and ruining someone’s image, these are present day issues that are on the minds of every online user today. The most interesting aspect of this film is that it’s based on true “online horror” stories. Though the film acknowledges that it may be an exaggeration, I think it aids in the incorrect way of dealing with the internet. How should we be teaching teens about the internet?

More importantly, the film addresses common issues related to the internet such as “hackers”, “the who you can trust question”, and ultimately “identity”.

In Chapter 4 of danah boyd’s “It’s Complicated,” she talks to teens about their parents’ rising concern of internet safety. Although the chapter opened by talking about two boy’s parent’s influence on their use (or lack thereof) of MySpace and Facebook, the chapter especially focused on the safety and privacy of adolescent girls. The girls expressed concerns of rape, assault, and kidnapping as possibilities of unsafe social media interaction. Boyd offered some insight, saying “[the girls’] fears were rooted not in personal experience but in media cover- age magnified by parental concerns.” With shows such as Datline NBC’s To Catch a Predator and MTV’s Catfish, the internet has come to be known as a dangerous place for adolescents, teens, and even young adults alike.

That being said, this chapter reminded me largely of my own personal concerns of internet safety—namely, privacy. That brings me to the concept of “catfishing.” Catfishing is defined as via Urban Dictionary “someone who pretends to be someone they’re not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.” I was reminded of this conversation I had with a good friend of mine back in 2011, and decided to unearth that conversation from my inbox.

The conversation above shows that two of my friends had catfishes of themselves on Facebook. This may have been an indirect result of their increase in followers on MySpace, then Tumblr, in the years leading up to 2011. I remember once this happened, we literally all panicked. I don’t think I’ve ever reported someone as quickly as I did when I found out two of my good friends had imposters on the Internet. The damage was minimal, but the aftereffect was scarring. This prompted my friends Tho and Miranda to change their privacy settings to the strictest settings. A few years later, this also happened to my friend Cynthia, once she started gaining a large following on Tumblr as well.

In fact, this even happened to me, when someone took my photos from my Tumblr account this past summer, and began to use my face on Grindr, a gay dating/chat app (and I’ve been in a monogamous relationship with my girlfriend for almost two years, so it makes absolutely no sense.)

I guess what I’m trying to point to is that the internet, because of the element of anonymity and the allowance to curate content in whatever shape or form we feel, raises the concern of privacy in more ways than one. In terms of catfishing, said privacy is violated with the burden of one’s identity—or rather, fake identity. Filters—though on Instagram photos are nice—can be used for evil (sorry, a little dramatic) when applied to the concept of filtering content to present an image of oneself… or in this case, someone else as yourself.

The scariest part is, all these catfish accounts of my friends and I still exist today.